The U.S. Defense Department on Wednesday said that it will spend over $10 billion to upgrade tactical military aircraft deployed in Japan over the next several years.
At Kadena Air Base in Okinawa Prefecture, the Air Force will replace 48 F-15C/D fighter jets with 36 cutting-edge F-15EX jets. It will rotate 4th and 5th generation jets during the transition.
At Misawa Air Base in Aomori Prefecture, the Air Force will replace 36 F-16 fighter jets with 48 F-35A jets.
The Marine Corps will increase the number of F-35B stealth fighter jets at its Iwakuni base in Yamaguchi Prefecture.
The Defense Department said it is in close coordination with the Japanese government over the modernization plan for tactical aircraft based in Japan.
The plan "demonstrates the ironclad U.S. commitment to the defense of Japan and both countries' shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region," it said.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.